i adore the idea of love building up to one big day of loving and appreciation. i too am against the hyper-consumerist event itās become, but i try my best to reclaim it every year. iāve never really had a true romantic valentine (itās fine! i donāt mean that in a sympathy-fishing way) so i never felt a longing for someone else on valentineās day. i use it as an excuse to wear a cute pink outfit and remind my friends that i appreciate them and theyāre all my valentines. the world is my oyster of love.
but, on the romantic end, i really like when i see couples put effort towards homemade gifts for each other or special valentines surprises that exist outside of the consumerist conventions that we tend to default to.
i think we should all take efforts to move towards a ethical-thanksgiving-style type of day, focusing on the celebration of being grateful for all sorts of love that may have found you. romantic or platonic.
Jan 30, 2025
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Call me cheesy or whatever but Valentine's day has to be one, if not my favorite holiday.
Call it a Hallmark holiday but I couldn't care less.
The air is somehow different on this day; everybody tolerates one another, compliments are thrown around, and bliss fills my heart when I see an exchange between friends or lovers.
Personally there is something beautiful when it comes to love and what i think the purest form is. The sacrifice, the selflessness, the fact it doesn't have to be reciprocated are just few of many components.
Love is nurturing, something all of us yearn for in one way or another, and to me that is beautiful.
Love languages are among my favorite to see whether it ranges from gift giving to cooking, seeing couples share quality time or acts if service on Instagram.
My love language along with my boyfriend's is gift giving and quality time, the latter being the most treasured. I make him gifts I know he will appreciate and he purchases items that cater to my interests. Though other may see it as materialistic I enjoy being in love and being loved by someone who knows the littlest things about me.
Sonny Angels, my favorite nail shape, pinks I like and pinks I dislike. Someone who can bear my quietness and stupid questions that pop up randomly.
To be loved is too be seen, and with him I feel it most.
Maybe it's the hopeless romantic in me wearing rose tinted glasses when I perceive this holiday as lovely and quaint, or the euphoria I get when everyone dons my favorite color and don't care that it's a 'girl color'.
But love is something that allows us to be human, to be vulnerable and open with ourselves and others. It's something we all share, making the feeling of loneliness less apparent.
To me, that is a wonderful feeling and this day allows us to express it freely.
Feb 15, 2025
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i do agree that valentineās day feels a little forced and inauthentic but maybe im just jel because ive only had one valentine and im bartending a wedding for it this year, (valentineless) that being said i do love nothing more than to see someone walking down the street with a bunch of flowers and im borderline excited to witness more of that around valentines day
Jan 31, 2025
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if you decenter romantic love and let yourself celebrate the other love in your life and also ignore the over-consumption of it all Valentineās Day is a cute fun day with an elite aesthetic and an opportunity for treats for you and your pals āŗļø how cute a day for luv
Jan 30, 2025
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liking ur rec = saying hi when we go to get our morning papers from the end of our driveways (picture me doing so tony soprano style)
Aug 12, 2024
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started writing this a few hours ago when i first saw this ask, then decided against posting but i've since changed my mind. there really is no justification for it outside of entitlement. even from a selfish lens, there's no long term benefit to its usage. it harms the world and culture in more ways than one.
a.) the water and energy usage that isn't a secret at this point. "no ethical consumption under capitalism" yadda yadda and yeah corporations are extremely culpable in the state of the environment but there really is no need for chatgpt and the planet is already too delicate at the moment.
b.) the exploitation of workers in the global south. this program is not just a computer figuring it all out, there are in fact humans behind it. it reminds me of the acceptance of fast fashion and how people have the tendency to divorce the idea of the garment worker from the garment they wear when all clothing is handmade in some way, shape or form. you need hands to man a sewing machine, you need human eyes to moderate content. also, content moderation can be a thankless job with psychological repercussions.
c.) the erosion of social skills, humanity and media literacy...this one is very personal. like, you have a cushy email job but can't write an email? you need a computer and a worker in kenya to get paid a dollar an hour to figure out a daily routine for you? i've seen the program churn out blatantly incorrect information. fine tuning a prompt or chat or whatever to give you the exact (possibly incorrect) answer you need isn't really that much less work than sharpening your research skills by cracking open a dictionary or using boolean search keys in google. again, the main issue with this kind of stuff is the entitlement to convenience, with no thought towards the repercussions within and outside of us. we are losing major recipes (critical thinking and media literacy) here, people!
i probably did an iffy job are coherently articulating my thoughts here but i am in fact, human. and thatās the beauty of it all.
Oct 1, 2024
i donāt work w oils often, mainly tempera, collage, and digital but this is the one i'm still most proud of as of late bc itās way bigger (18x24) than i'm used to working <3
Oct 14, 2024